The Eldest Lady always wants to have a double O Relationship with her old enemy - Chapter 46

Back in her room, Tang Yanzhao stood in front of the bathroom mirror, her ink-dark eyes staring at her reflection. Her fair skin showed no trace of the embarrassment she had once felt.

Her thoughts kept replaying the sudden twists that had occurred in the car; until now, she hadn’t been able to speak with Shen Xianzhi.

So, what exactly happened to her?

Tang Yanzhao felt as though she was just one step away from understanding, yet that crucial detail had eluded her grasp.

She sighed and removed her coat. As she moved, she suddenly noticed faint red spots showing through the sweater beneath her black coat.

Tang Yanzhao frowned, casually placing the coat on a nearby stool, and leaned closer to the mirror, sniffing the collar of the sweater and lightly touching it with her fingers.

The meaning was obvious.

But what situation could cause the inner collar of her sweater to be stained with blood? There was only one possible answer—Shen Xianzhi.

Tang Yanzhao retrieved her analysis chart and phone, meticulously recording her feelings from the night.

Her mind raced, connecting every instance of Shen Xianzhi’s abnormal behavior.

A racing heartbeat was just the surface cause; not every increase in heart rate triggered her episodes. There had to be something deeper, something that imbued this heartbeat with meaning—something that could explain the current situation.

Kissing, desire, fondness, love… excitement!

A sudden flash of insight struck Tang Yanzhao. She ran multiple calculations in her mind, and this time, the result was 100% accurate.

It was excitement! She was feeling excited toward Shen Xianzhi!

Tang Yanzhao gritted the pen in her hand fiercely.

Everything pointed to her own excitement being the cause of Shen Xianzhi’s misfortune. What began as mere physical discomfort had now escalated: once Tang Yanzhao realized her own feelings, Shen Xianzhi’s condition had worsened to the point of vomiting blood.

Her palms bore marks from her nails digging into her skin. Tang Yanzhao closed her eyes and let out a faint, bitter laugh.

The answer had never been obscure; it was simply that Tang Yanzhao’s initial insecurities had prevented her from daring to hope for Shen Xianzhi’s affection. With Hua yan’s reminder, she had finally found “excitement” hidden in the dark corners of her knowledge.

Perhaps it was insecurity, or perhaps a deep-seated fear ingrained in her bones.

Tang Yanzhao instinctively tried to avoid this possibility, but Murphy’s law was effective: the more she avoided it, the more inevitable it became.

No, liking Shen Xianzhi was bound to happen.

Bright and radiant as she was, no matter how many times, she would always feel excitement toward Shen Xianzhi.

Tang Yanzhao pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat spiral out of control.

Liking someone should be beautiful—but in her case, it brought misfortune.

She had known from the start that misfortune was part of her life. Now even Shen Xianzhi, a girl like her, had to bear unnecessary punishment because of her.

The next day.

Shen Xianzhi slept until nearly noon, her whole body feeling weak and lethargic, likely from oversleeping.

But it wasn’t her fault—last night in the car, she hadn’t been able to control herself. It was only natural that Tang Yanzhao’s feelings had caused such a reaction. She didn’t regret it; the only regret was that, despite being punished, she hadn’t kissed her. What a loss!

She had left the car first to avoid scaring Tang Yanzhao with her appearance.

Later, she brushed her teeth, but as soon as she sat down, she felt dizzy and weak, her throat itching. Blood stained the sleepwear she wore.

This time it was a nosebleed, uncontrollable. Shen Xianzhi didn’t dare let anyone else know and could only endure it quietly, communicating briefly with Xiao Shi in her mind.

As always, her advice went unheeded, and once again, no consensus was reached.

That morning, Shen Xianzhi sat on her bed for a while before heading to the adjacent guest room to find Tang Yanzhao. On her way, she saw a housemaid leaving the room after cleaning.

“Where’s Yanzhao?” Shen Xianzhi asked.

“She left last night,” the housemaid replied.

Hearing this, Shen Xianzhi frowned and returned to her room, grabbing her phone. From last night until now, there were no new messages.

She took a deep breath and, without hesitation, called Tang Yanzhao. The call went straight to voicemail. She tried three times, all the same.

Her patience running out, she dialed Tang Xuan’s number. The call connected quickly, and Shen Xianzhi forced a calm tone:

“Aunt Tang, is Yanzhao home?”

“Hm? Let me check.”

She heard footsteps, then a knock on the door, followed by Tang Xuan calling, “Yanzhao?”

Soon, Tang Yanzhao’s voice replied, “Mom, is something wrong?”

“Nothing,” Tang Xuan said, leaving immediately.

She didn’t know what had happened between the two girls, but if Shen Xianzhi was reaching out this way, it must be for a reason. Since Tang Yanzhao was home, they could resolve things themselves. As a third party and an elder, she didn’t want to interfere.

“She’s home?”

Shen Xianzhi gritted her teeth. “Okay, thanks, Aunt Tang.”

After hanging up, she tapped her phone. “Tang Yanzhao, you’re really something.”

She quickly changed clothes and, skipping lunch, had the driver take her to Tang Yanzhao’s building.

She didn’t call in advance. She went straight upstairs, knocking on the door. Tang Xuan answered warmly:

“Xianzhi, you’re here! Why didn’t you call ahead?”

Shen Xianzhi forced a smile. “Is Yanzhao here?”

“She is. Come in. She probably didn’t lock the door.”

“Thanks, Aunt Tang.”

Shen Xianzhi clenched her fists, ready for confrontation, but opened the door gently.

She immediately saw Tang Yanzhao bent over the desk, focused on homework. Her calm expression seemed to soothe Shen Xianzhi’s restless heart.

Shen Xianzhi quietly closed the door. A “click,” and Tang Yanzhao looked up, startled. Their eyes met.

Tang Yanzhao’s dark pupils flickered. She unconsciously clenched her pen but kept a composed expression: “You’re here?”

Shen Xianzhi relaxed and smiled. “I called you, but you didn’t answer.”

Tang Yanzhao picked up her phone from the desk. “Oh, sorry, it was on silent. Didn’t hear it.”

Shen Xianzhi reached to pinch her ear. Tang Yanzhao pretended not to notice, standing and grabbing a disposable cup.

“Water is fine?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Shen Xianzhi sat at the foot of the bed, ignoring the small gesture.

“Why didn’t you tell me when you went back?” she asked, sipping water.

Tang Yanzhao returned to her seat. “The phone was charging, and I forgot after washing up.”

Shen Xianzhi raised an eyebrow but didn’t push. She glanced at Tang Yanzhao’s desk.

“Doing homework?” she asked.

Tang Yanzhao nodded truthfully. “Yes.”

“Good girl,” Shen Xianzhi teased.

Since the winter break began, Tang Yanzhao had been diligent in her studies, only recently taking part in a competition for a guaranteed admission spot at Beian University, which required her to complete and place in the contest.

Shen Xianzhi knew how important academics were to Tang Yanzhao. She herself had a family safety net, but Tang Yanzhao didn’t rely on anyone. She would never want to depend on Shen Xianzhi.

Shen Xianzhi stood beside her, looking at the densely written workbook, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of numbers, English, and Chinese characters.

“All right, keep practicing, but rest when you need to. Don’t tire your eyes,” Shen Xianzhi reminded.

Tang Yanzhao obediently nodded.

Until school resumed, Shen Xianzhi didn’t disturb Tang Yanzhao, only sending messages during meal times or to remind her to rest.

After school resumed, their encounters increased, but Tang Yanzhao remained focused on her studies, brushing off Shen Xianzhi with brief excuses. Shen Xianzhi respected her effort, not letting her emotions affect Tang Yanzhao’s preparation.

One evening, Shen Xianzhi learned that Jiang Lan had organized a feast of grilled food and crayfish to celebrate Fang Xing’s recovery.

“Didn’t invite Tang Yanzhao?” Shen Xianzhi asked.

“She’s busy!”

Shen Xianzhi replied gloomily.

“What could be so important that she can’t even come out for a meal?”

Shen Xianzhi scoffed. “You wouldn’t understand. This contest is crucial for her Beian University spot.”

“Ha!” Jiang Lan laughed. “Are you drinking or not?”

Shen Xianzhi shook her head. “If she’s not here, I won’t drink.”

“Come on, Xianzhi, are you really being bossed around?”

She wanted to drink badly but knew her limits. Drunkenly causing trouble for Tang Yanzhao was out of the question.

Jiang Lan noticed Shen Xianzhi’s melancholy and, seeing her desire to see Tang Yanzhao, decided to help.

Ye Tao pretended not to notice Jiang Lan’s small trick with the drinks. Two cups later, Shen Xianzhi began losing clarity.

She leaned on Ye Tao, tears streaming. “Taozi, I miss her so much.”

“Then go find her,” Ye Tao said.

“I can’t. She’s studying hard. I can’t disturb her.”

Jiang Lan scoffed, “So sentimental,” and immediately called Tang Yanzhao, sending her the location of a hotel room. “Hurry over.”

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